Known as the Manchester of South India for its textile industry – may not seem hip on the surface, but if you give it a little time, you will find it's cut from a different cloth. The city is brilliantly located – on the way to scenic hill stations such as Ooty and Coonoor—friendly enough and very liveable, with an unhurried pace. There are many tourist places near Coimbatore that you can visit on your trip. Drop by soon before the rest of the country cotton on.
Best time to visit: September to March is an excellent time to visit Coimbatore as the weather remains relaxed and comfortable.
How to reach Coimbatore
Most spoken languages in Coimbatore:
Kongu Tamil
A chic and turquoise little restaurant on Race Course Road. They offer global cuisine and are known for their mushroom risotto and their delicious Oreo cookie tart. Try and snag a table on one of their supper theatre nights, for some added drama to your fine dining experience.
Life is too short for bad coffee. And the filter coffee at any of the Annapoorna restaurants in Coimbatore is excellent; the owners take their coffee as seriously as the French do. Other reasons to visit are the rose milk and the south Indian tiffin, particularly at the RS Puram outlet if you can; it’s been impossible for anyone to replicate their menu.
Chin Chin does unabashedly Indo-Chinese food. Their fried ice-cream is sensational: it’s quite simply rock-solid, frozen ice-cream dipped in a crazy batter and deep fried. Possibly the most decadent dessert you can ever have.
This little restaurant serves authentic Kongunadu cuisine, so good that Narain Karthikeyan is a regular. The simple biryani, has been elevated to an art form here, and guests must also spare some appetite for the pallipalayam koli, kothu parota together with a sprinkling of Eno salts.
The city is a haven for textile lovers. While label junkies may hit a brick wall, you can't go wrong if you're looking for an exquisite saree or some metres of pure silk.
The Residency Towers, Avinashi Road Centrally located to almost everything, The Residency Towers is as friendly as the town itself. It is one of the best hotels in Coimbatore. The main draw is that it doesn’t pretend to be a posh hotel and its loyalists are fine with that. The food is unusually good: whether it’s Afghan Grill’s North-West Frontier fare or the Kongunadu cuisine at Pavilion. The hotel is popular with relatives of patients admitted to Ganges Hospital - one of the country’s most famous orthopaedic hospitals.
Aloft Coimbatore Singanallur This is the closest luxury hotel to the airport and to the city’s IT hub, TIDEL Park. The clientele here is a well-heeled mix of locals as well as textile buyers and business travellers from abroad. Come dinner time, try the hummus and fried pita at Estia, the Mediterranean restaurant.
Vivanta by Taj – Surya, Race Course Road Shards of stone are laid out at the entrance to bring the sun inside the hotel. It’s a nice take on the name, Surya. The Dalai Lama and Shah Rukh Khan are some famous personalities who have been guests at Vivanta by Taj - Surya. Karthikeyan is a regular, as most of his family functions are held here. Guests mustn’t leave without sampling Latitude’s idlis, which are fantastic. Red Pearl gives Coimbatore an authentic Chinese experience.
Zone by the Park, Avinashi Road This funky, contemporary hotel describes itself as a hotel that’s ‘Social by Design’. The rooms have free Wi-fi, flat-screens, iPod docks and minibars. They’re all controlled by smart technology which saves your preferences whether it's the temperature or your choice of television channels. Loyalists can also save these for future visits across any Zone hotel in other cities.
Le Méridien Coimbatore, Avinashi Road The Tamil Nadu suite at Le Meridien, inspired by Chettinad architecture, is where Prime Minister Narendra Modi stayed while campaigning in this part of the country. The hotel has 55,000sq ft of banqueting space, ideal for all those endless conferences. When it comes to dining, there’s Peacock for Indian cuisine, Ponzu for Asian fare, Favola for Italian and a cigar lounge too. The possibilities are endless.
Among Coimbatore's tourist places, you can visit famous temples that date back to 1500AD. One such renowned temple is Marudhamalai Hill Temple, located at 500 feet on the Western Ghats. Dedicated to Lord Murugan, the temple boasts Dravidian style architecture and a visual treat for the eyes. Other temples include Perur Siva Temple, Eachanari Vinayagar Temple, Anubhavi Subramaniar Temple and Vellingiri Hill Temple.
Coimbatore is also home to incredible waterfalls. Among all, the stunning Monkey falls a must-visit. Falling from a height of 60feet, it's a popular spot for trekking and picnic. You can also visit Kovai Kutralam Falls, which is equally famous stunning.
The adventurist should check into Camp Splendour near Udumalpet and sign up for a visit to the crocodile farm, a spot of hot-air ballooning, try coracle rafting or experience a dinner with friends around a campfire.
The average Coimbatorean maybe a picture of calm—undoubtedly because he visited the transcendental Isha Yoga Center—but he does indulge in a nocturnal activity or two. One of them is dining in a natural cave at Kurumba Village Resort, an hour or so via the Nilgiri mountain railway, in Coonoor. Eerie but this is as close to wild dining as you can get.
Situated at a distance of 89km from Coimbatore, Ooty is considered one of India's best hill stations. It's a great escape from the city if you want to explore a picturesque picnic spot.
It is just 18 km away from Coimbatore boasting a wide range of birds, wildflowers and Nilgiri tea. One of the must thing to try is the Nilgiri Mountain Railway (Toy Train) which is worth an experience as the train run amidst the Nilgiris.
Koniamman Car Festival is celebrated in Koniamman Temple every year on 1st March. Many devotees come here to pull the car through the eminent streets of Coimbatore. The procession starts from the temple, and the chariot is drawn through Big Bazaar Street, and is finally parked at Raja Street in its parking space.